21 Reimagined Cult Movie Posters

There’s something about cult films that begs for interpretation. Whether it’s their odd themes or quirky actors, cult movies are great fodder for artists’ imaginations. I think it’s because B movies, horror slapsticks and fantastical tales just get better over time – as we watch these films over and over, we pick up more imagery as we memorize the dialogue. A seemingly unimportant scene all of a sudden stands out on the 11th viewing.

California’s Gallery 1988 is well aware of fan rabidness for cult films, so for the past five years it’s organized the “Crazy 4 Cult” series, in which artists submit works inspired by their favorite movies. The July 2011 show included pieces inspired by “The Room,” “Freaks,” “Repo Man” and “The Warriors.”

The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain hosts film festivals throughout the year, including Fantastic Fest (sci-fi, horror, fantasy and other cult films) and the Rolling Roadshow Tour, in which 35mm movies are screened in their film-related location across the country. For these events, Alamo Drafthouse commissions posters for the movies, and this year it was announced that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will archive the collection.

It’s one thing to have old movie posters on your walls – they always invite a nostalgic conversation with visitors. But a reimagined movie poster is a different type of attention-getter. Now you have original art that captures one scene, a special character or a theme. And the best part is, reinterpreted film posters often blend in better in the dining room than a glaring official poster with its screaming fonts. To paraphrase The Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” an artist’s film poster could really tie the room together.

Here are 21 reimagined cult movie posters I would love to hang up in my home.